Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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www.BLUEANDGOLD.com AUGUST 2018 43 BY COREY BODDEN When 2020 tight end Michael May- er's recruitment took off this winter and spring, the Alexandria (Ky.) Cov- ington Catholic standout thought the process would end at some point fol- lowing the conclusion of his junior season. A June trip to Notre Dame altered his plans. Mayer decided there was no reason to continue his recruitment. The 6-5, 215-pounder knew he had found his perfect fit and announced a com- mitment to the Irish July 1. "After my second visit, I knew that's where I wanted to be," Mayer said. "I thought about it … and slept on it. From then on it's all history. "When I took my first visit there, I got the chance to see the campus and the facilities. I didn't really get a chance to see the actual core of Notre Dame and what it's about. What that first visit told me was I wanted to come back and learn more about it. "I took another visit and had a chance to spend more time with the coaches and the players. It really showed me how great everything is at Notre Dame. Every single player I talked to at Notre Dame was respect- ful and down to earth. It's obviously Tight End U, and everything about the campus made me fall in love with it." Mayer — who is ranked as a four- star talent, the No. 1 player in Ken- tucky, and the No. 2 tight end and No. 82 overall prospect nationally by 247Sports — said Penn State finished second to the Irish. Alabama, Georgia, LSU, Michigan and Ohio State were among the others to offer Mayer. "It was pretty hard and a long pro- cess," Mayer said. "It started early for me, but I knew from the beginning Notre Dame was going to be one of my top choices. "I narrowed it down to about three or four schools, and wrote some pros and cons for each one. It turns out Notre Dame was the right fit for me." Offensive coordinator and tight ends coach Chip Long was one of the major reasons the Irish caught the attention of Mayer early in the process. "He obviously loves the tight ends," Mayer explained. "Him being the of- fensive coordinator and tight ends coach also played a role. "He's one of the most down-to-earth people I know. He really knows the game of football, and that was big in the decision." Long's use of the tight end within his offense on top of Notre Dame's tradi- tion at the position was also attractive. "I really wanted to go somewhere that had good tight end play and was good academically as well," Mayer stated. "They put tight ends into the NFL. It was very influential. … I think Coach Long has been saying that [fel- low commit] Kevin Bauman is kind of the in-line guy like Brock Wright, and I'll be out more catching passes. But you never know what will happen. "The way their offense runs, they'll have one or two tight ends out there and sometimes three. That's great be- cause that could give me a chance to play as a freshman, too. You have to be able to block, catch and run after the catch. Coach Long has been preaching to me once you catch the ball you have to be able to run after it." New Canaan (Conn.) High quarter- back Drew Pyne was the first player to commit to Notre Dame's 2020 group and also made an effort to lure Mayer to South Bend. "For a month or two, Drew and I have been talking a lot," Mayer said. "It's obviously very influential because there's a great quarterback commit- ted in him. You have to have someone who can throw the rock, and he can." Mayer is looking forward to joining forces with Bau- man and the rest of the Irish tight ends. "One thing that I thought of was when I found out that they would take two [in 2020] was competition," Mayer said. "That's a big thing in college, and I love competition. It makes me better." Now that he is part of the class, Mayer said he will link with up with Pyne to con- tinue pushing for other play- ers to join the Irish. Mayer, who helped Cov- ington Catholic win the Class 5A state championship in both football and basketball, caught 14 passes for 235 yards and three touchdowns. Per The Cincinnati Enquirer, Mayer also recorded 79 total tackles and 7.5 sacks. The Northern Kentucky Football Coaches Association tabbed him as a first-team selection at defensive end on the Northern Kentucky High School Football All-Star Team. The rising ju- nior was also honorable mention on defense for The Louisville Courier Jour- nal All-State Team. ✦ FILM ANALYSIS Strengths Michael Mayer has outstanding length and a top-notch frame … Long arms and strong ball skills make him an elite bad ball pass catcher at a young age … Is a smooth and fluid athlete that makes playing football look easy … Has quick feet as a route runner and shows im- pressive separation out of his breaks … Lines up all over the field, something that he proj- ects to also do in college due to his speed, athleticism and route running ability … Was an all-state defensive end as a sophomore, and on that side of the ball you can really see his strength potential. Areas For Improvement Still on the skinny side and must spend the next couple of years adding onto his excellent frame … Needs to add a lot more strength, es- pecially to his lower body … Will compete hard in the run game but must work on keeping his base and finishing. — Bryan Driskell COMMITMENT PROFILE MICHAEL MAYER Summer Visits Lead 2020 Tight End To Notre Dame 247Sports ranks Mayer as the No. 1 prospect in Kentucky, and the No. 2 tight end and No. 82 player nationally. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS.COM